11.07.2009

My Top Ten Films of the Decade- #8 La Vie en Rose

Marion Cotillard won the Oscar for best actress for her portrayal of French chanteuse, Edith Piaf in the 2007 film, and my number 8 pick, La Vie en Rose, directed by Olivier Dahan.

Edith Piaf’s life was painful- it was a life lived in extremes- from the utter poverty and desolation of her youth to her later life basking in the luxury of fame. Along the way she suffered tragedies, love affairs, drug addictions and still, through this all, she had ‘no regrets’.

Piaf’s life was so dramatic it was only natural that it would make a good film subject. And while the film itself is good standalone biopic- Marion Cotillard’s brilliant performance as Piaf is what transcends this film and brings it over the edge.

Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote that Cotillard’s performance as Piaf was “the most astonishing immersion of one performer into the body and soul of another I’ve ever encountered in a film”… and honestly, I couldn’t agree more.

To this day, Cotillard's performance is the most powerful and heart-wrenching I have ever seen…